A Wooden Cottage

Xu Han sat on his bed, observing as Xuan Ji effortlessly killed the beggar. The sight shocked him, and he couldn't help but express his confusion. "Is it really that easy to kill the main character?" he wondered aloud.

Then, a realization struck Xu Han, and his blood-red pupils shimmered with enlightenment. "But he wasn't the main character yet. If he had seized the opportunity beyond the gate, he might have become the protagonist. And who was he before getting killed? Most likely a candidate for the main character."

Sighing, Xu Han continued, "Without the protection of the world's will, the main characters would have died much earlier!"

"Of course! I won't die because I have the protection of the world's will. I am a legitimate main character," Xu Han shamelessly and confidently declared, as he continued to observe.

...

Xuan Ji stood in front of the door, peering inside. Initially, his focus was on the beggar, causing him to pay little attention to what lay beyond the door. However, when he tried to peer inside, all he saw was a pitch-black abyss. Surprisingly, he could sense a surge of qi emanating from within, startling him.

Hesitation gripped Xuan Ji as he contemplated entering the door. The sight of the abyss unnerved him, but he ultimately made up his mind, muttering through his gritted teeth, "Damn it! I'll come back even if I die."

With resolve, he stepped through the doorway, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the abyss. And within seconds, Xuan Ji's figure vanished.

...

Upon arrival on the other side, Xuan Ji found himself standing on a rocky path suspended in mid-air. The path extended a few feets ahead before disappearing into darkness.

As he looked around, he realized he was enveloped in complete darkness. The door he had passed through was nowhere to be found. A chill ran down his spine as he realized his escape route he had anticipated if things went awry was no longer available. Now the only option left for him was to press onward.

Cautiously, Xuan Ji began to walk. After a few minutes, a shadow materialized from the darkness. Driven by curiosity, he approached and the shadow gradually took the form of a small plot of land, with an old-fashioned wooden cottage.

The cottage nestled amidst lush greenery, shielded by towering trees and adorned with lively vines that climbed its weathered walls. A pathway, scattered with pebbles and adorned with fragrant flowers, ambled through the green surroundings, beckoning visitors.

Reaching the small plot of land, Xuan Ji stepped onto the pebble pathway, eventually arriving before the welcoming cottage.

Curiosity led him to approach the window and check for any signs of danger inside. To his relief, the room appeared ordinary, furnished with a bed, bookshelf, table, and chair, all made of plain wood. Not sensing any immediate threats, Xuan Ji decided to enter the cottage.

As he stepped inside, he surveyed the room and walked towards the bookshelf, hoping to find a technique or skill.

"Surely there must be something valuable in these books," Xuan Ji exclaimed with excitement.

However, his excitement waned when he discovered that the books' pages were either rotten or yellowed with age. They hadn't been well-preserved, and the passage of time had rendered them unreadable. No one had taken the proper care to preserve the books with a freshness formation that a sect usually uses in their library.

Moving on Xuan Ji noticed a table and discovered a space ring on top of it. His joy and anticipation grew again as he examined its contents. This time, he wasn't let down as he discovered numerous valuable items within the space ring.

However, he also noticed that the interior of the space ring appeared distorted, as if it was on the verge of collapse. Xuan Ji realized that the time of the space ring was coming to an end, causing the space to crumble.

Suspecting that this might have affected the contents within, he carefully removed everything from the space ring. He then started examining each and every item.

Inside, he found numerous pills, herbs, thousands of spirit stones, and a jade slip containing stored information.

Starting with the pills, Xuan Ji conducted a thorough examination, paying close attention to every detail. He discovered that the pills were of high quality. However, he also noticed that the pills had lost a portion of their medicinal potency due to the distorted space inside the space ring. Nonetheless, even with this slight decrease in potency, they still possessed significant value.

As if they had remained at their original high-quality level, he wouldn't have been able to ingest them and would have exploded while using.

Xuan Ji then turned his attention to the herbs. He recognized some of them, while others were unfamiliar. However, their presence confirmed that the herbs in this world were similar to those in his own, even if he didn't know the specific varieties.

Finally, he picked up the jade slip.

The jade slip, crafted from the purest jade and infused with mysterious energy, served as a repository of information for cultivators Its production was a costly endeavor, which only the wealthier sects could afford.

But it was more than that— as when a cultivator established contact with a jade slip, a spiritual link formed, enabling them to absorb the stored knowledge much faster than with traditional paper.

With anticipation, Xuan Ji placed the jade slip on his forehead. Instantly, he felt a profound connection, as a surge of information flooded his mind, transferring knowledge in an overwhelming rush. It took him five minutes to fully transfer it all.

As he opened his eyes, a glimmer of surprise danced within. He had acquired a treasure trove of knowledge from the jade slip that he had made his own.